Product Suggestions to Avoid Water Spots

E

expdetailing

New member
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
1,447
Reaction score
0
Hello All,

Outside of a water filtration system, what are some good options for avoiding water spots when getting caught washing in the sun, or working on large vehicles that cannot be dried quick enough to avoid evaporation resulting in spotting?

Currently, I am using sealants and waxes as a protectant, but haven't had any experience with ceramics, rinse aides, or any hydro washes.

There are times when working on other's car/trucks when the paint isn't protected, or I cannot control washing in the sun or not as much as I would like to, or the water dries faster than I can move. So, I generally get spots when working on others' vehicles. I use Optimum's water spot remover, and it's great at doing so, but it seems there's got to be a product(s) that would help me from having to use it. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.
 
What about incorporating rinseless washing into you repertoire where you wash and dry each section as you go? Rinseless washes are safe when done right though maybe not on the dirtiest of vehicles. But if you have a dirty vehicle, you could use Frothe or just copy Frothe’s rolling of a towel to clean a dirty section such that a side of a towel touches the panel minimally. This is one of the reasons I like rinseless washing as a windy or hot day will not leave spots as often happens with a normal wash.
 
dgage said:
What about incorporating rinseless washing into you repertoire where you wash and dry each section as you go? Rinseless washes are safe when done right though maybe not on the dirtiest of vehicles. But if you have a dirty vehicle, you could use Frothe or just copy Frothe’s rolling of a towel to clean a dirty section such that a side of a towel touches the panel minimally. This is one of the reasons I like rinseless washing is a windy or hot day will not leave spots as often happens with a normal wash.
Click to expand...

:iagree:^^^^Short of a water filtration system, nothing will stop water spotting if left in the sun to dry.
 
Rinseless or waterless would be about the only way to totally avoid spotting while doing a wash.

I don't have any shade and often forced to wash in bright sun due to life happening. I've done a couple things to help with the spotting.

1. I only wash a panel at a time and try to control how much water sprays over areas I've not yet washed. I'll also start on the shaded side of the vehicle and end on the side/area with the most sun so it spends the least time with water droplets evaporating in the sun.

2. A post-drying wipe down with a good QD spray or Waterless Wash. No matter how hard I try, or how fast I move, there will always be a few water spots after I'm done drying the vehicle. I'll give it a quick wipe down with a QD spray or a waterless wash diluted to a QD ratio. This knocks out the water spots and with the right product give it a nice gloss. When I used sealants, I'd wipe down with Kenotek Showroom Shine. Now that I use coatings as my LSP, I wipe down with CarPro's ECH2O.
 
Another thing you can do (if possible) is to work early in the morning, or late in the evening to avoid the direct sun.
 
You need to get one of those new $1000 droids Amazon just came out with. Mod it to follow a path around the vehicle, continuously spraying water on the vehicle while you wash. Keep it moving ahead of you and dry as you go.

Otherwise, rinseless and dry as you go.

Something to remember though. The car dries extra fast in the sun because it's extra hot when you start. Cooling down the panel ahead of you as you move around the vehicle might help.
 
dgage said:
What about incorporating rinseless washing into you repertoire where you wash and dry each section as you go? Rinseless washes are safe when done right though maybe not on the dirtiest of vehicles. But if you have a dirty vehicle, you could use Frothe or just copy Frothe’s rolling of a towel to clean a dirty section such that a side of a towel touches the panel minimally. This is one of the reasons I like rinseless washing as a windy or hot day will not leave spots as often happens with a normal wash.
Click to expand...

I do try to get away with rinseless or waterless washes when I can, but there's those times when it NEEDS a good scrubbing. Some people don't wash as nearly as they could. I'm also becomeing more prone to washing using the traditional method because I've experienced numerous times during rinseless washes where I think I've cleaned the surface, but later notice I didn't when going back over a, "Clean" area once again for a separate reason.

I've been away from the forum for awhile and thought there might be a new wiz bang product I haven't heard of yet, or one that's existed that I've never used. One product keeps me thinking and searching; it was sold elsewhere and it was a rinse solution that attached to your hose, and was designed to aide in rinsing, after a wash, to help eliminate water spots and dry quicker. It more than sort-of worked. I figured AG has to have something similar?
 
My most recent adventure, and what's fueling me to ask, was my bro in law's black 4 door F-150, which gets neglected. He let me borrow it on a Friday to take it to NY from Ohio for the weekend, and when I returned it Monday, I wanted it looking much better than when I found it. On a side note, I found my near-full 32 oz bottle of Pinnacle Glass Cleaner under his passenger seat that I accidentally left on a former detail! Excellent product. Anyways, it was caked in dust, fallout, sap, etc, so I just went to town under the sun thinking any spots wouldn't be too hard with a QD, but I was wrong and spent more time with Optimum's water spot remover than on any other step, except vacuuming.
I'd bet there's got to be a product one can use to rinse with that makes spotting much less likely even out in the sun. Like, something that makes most of the water quickly fall from the paint, making it similar to rinsing a freshly coated car but on a non-LSP'ed car.
 
expdetailing said:
I'd bet there's got to be a product one can use to rinse with that makes spotting much less likely even out in the sun. Like, something that makes most of the water quickly fall from the paint, making it similar to rinsing a freshly coated car but on a non-LSP'ed car.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately its the LSP's, like a coating, that have the properties which create a hydrophobic surface. It's all about the surface conditions. I can't imagine any soap/wash product that would alter the surface conditions as you're describing on the fly. Maybe some wash/wax product, but probably still not to the level you need.
 
You could check out McKee's SIO2 car wash. They promote it as being able to dry in the sun, then rinse off without water spotting. Still, you would probably need to waterless wash the roof (Instead of rinsing) and then work around the vehicle - rinsing and drying as you go. The Sun is a pain.

ONR is supposed to condition water to lessen water spotting. Maybe use a higher concentration (1-2 ounces per gallon). Once again, I think McKee's says n914 will do the same and it cleans really well. Up the concentration for more cleaning power.

Maybe consider setting up a cheap filter system. $20 RV filter or self made bead system would clean the water some. Everything counts.
 
expdetailing said:
How does ECH20 work as a drying aide?
Click to expand...

Good. It is streaky using on a dry car but when using as a drying the water left on vehicle dilutes it and it adds decent lubricity. Good value with it’s dilution ratio


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Coatingsarecrack said:
Good. It is streaky using on a dry car but when using as a drying the water left on vehicle dilutes it and it adds decent lubricity. Good value with it’s dilution ratio


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Streaky? What dilution are you using. The of of the biggest reason I use ECH2O is I've never had streaks. I use it a 1:20 and in warm weather it's wipe on/off for me and probably one of the easiest products I've ever used. In cooler weather it takes a second wipe off pass, but I've never experienced streaks like I have with other products like Cure, Elixr, or Wolfgang's SIO2 detail spray.
 
Desertnate said:
Streaky? What dilution are you using. The of of the biggest reason I use ECH2O is I've never had streaks. I use it a 1:20 and in warm weather it's wipe on/off for me and probably one of the easiest products I've ever used. In cooler weather it takes a second wipe off pass, but I've never experienced streaks like I have with other products like Cure, Elixr, or Wolfgang's SIO2 detail spray.
Click to expand...

I’ve tried pretty much every dilution (including 1:20). It needs a second towel every time. I don’t use as waterless but more like QD. I want it off in one pass like Griots Speed shine or Megs Ceramic detailer.

It’s good as a rinseless and drying aid tho.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Interesting. That is really strange. I use it only as a QD and never had a problem until it gets below 50F. In fact, I last used it weekend in temps around the upper 60's to wipe down my doors before attaching my magnetic numbers. Sprayed it on, wiped it right off. No fuss, no mess.
 
Desertnate said:
Interesting. That is really strange. I use it only as a QD and never had a problem until it gets below 50F. In fact, I last used it weekend in temps around the upper 60's to wipe down my doors before attaching my magnetic numbers. Sprayed it on, wiped it right off. No fuss, no mess.
Click to expand...

Not really strange, It’s known to streak.

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-reviews/110905-issues-carpro-ech2o.html

https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101-a/116922-issue-ech2o-reload-drying-aid.html

Some seems to work great... some it streaks for. Still a decent product but not as mindless as Megs CQD and Ceramic Speedshine.

As long as a gallon of Ceramic Speedshine will last me this will probably be my new go to.

I think the megs beads better but the Speedshine looks better.

Glad the Ech20 works well for you.

I’ll use up my gallon as a rinseless and pre soak.

Also when first using Ech20 i used it more as a weekly sealant lite(?). Used it as merlin mix and didn’t mind using 2 towels to spread then remove.

As i a little lazy i really don’t like to do all that after a wash.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Some products just don't play well with each other. I haven't had the issue that Hambo had and I live in the same area. I recall he had issues with Adams CS3 where I did not. So there is always in a difference in someone's process.

What some people don't realize is that ech2o is not designed for protection. It is a gloss enhancement product. Any product will leave some type of beading as it changes the surface tension. Which is why Elixir was created to leave protection.

Reload is known to streak especially if it is heavily used. The same goes for the use of Elixir.
 
You might be able to contact your local auto wash chemical supplier. See of they can set you up with a dying agent. I had hard water at my tunnel wash, and my supplier set me up with a dying agent formulated for hard water.

Outside of that, for bad cars I spray Optimum Power Clean on the paint and wheels, power wash that off, and do an ONR wash.

I don't currently even own any car wash soap at this time (I will have CarPro Reset on hand for cars coated with their coatings.).
 
Desertnate said:
2. I'll give it a quick wipe down with a QD spray or a waterless wash diluted to a QD ratio..
Click to expand...

Are these waterless washes that specify QD dilution ratios, or are you just experimenting to find a ratio that works as a QD? (if the latter, what ratios are you using?)

Thanks.
 
dgage said:
What about incorporating rinseless washing into you repertoire where you wash and dry each section as you go? Rinseless washes are safe when done right though maybe not on the dirtiest of vehicles. But if you have a dirty vehicle, you could use Frothe or just copy Frothe’s rolling of a towel to clean a dirty section such that a side of a towel touches the panel minimally. This is one of the reasons I like rinseless washing as a windy or hot day will not leave spots as often happens with a normal wash.
Click to expand...

+1 I finally got on the rinseless train and I'll never go back to a traditional wash/dry process. I had my paint coated with Opti Seal and I just use Optimum No Rinse Wash&Wax. Everytime I use ONRWW it adds a layer of Carnuba Wax.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top